


Freedom

by Azela



Series: The Love for His Master Series [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 08:19:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11077665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azela/pseuds/Azela
Summary: Ten years has passed and Cade, Jace, Fallon, Ari, and Gale are finally getting their freedom.





	1. Cade and Jace

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, I finally got one done!!!! I'm so excited for this last short in this series. It's the happy, happy endings we all wanted.  
> Enjoy!!

“We had such a lovely time, as usual. Your staff is just wonderful,” Mrs. Willow said, squeezing Eden’s hand gently. 

“I am glad you enjoyed your stay,” Eden replied, kissing the old woman’s cheek. “Will we see you again before the spring?”

“Yes, Henry has a meeting in the city in March,” Mrs. Willow smiled. 

“Then I will look forward to seeing you then,” Eden said charmingly. He held out his hand to Mr. Willow, who shook it enthusiastically. “Have a safe trip home.”

With one last goodbye the couple was off and Eden moved to the front desk. Ellie was separating the mail and she glanced up at him when he leaned over the counter. She handed Eden his mail and the paperwork that had come in from the new cleaning service Eden had contacted. 

“Is there anything else I need to take care of before I leave?” Eden asked her, hoping there wasn’t anything else. 

The day had started with a two trashed room from a bachelor party that had gotten too out of hand, the cook setting off the fire alarm an hour later; and an elderly guest screaming at Eden that there was a cat loose in his closet and it was shredding his suit. The cat turned out to be a robe that had slipped off the hanger and fallen to the floor and the suit in question was fine. It didn’t stop the man from threatening to call the owner of the hotels to complain about the poor condition Eden was keeping his business in. I wouldn’t be the first time someone had Eden’s boss and Eden was getting tired of rounding up his staff to recount the events that led up to the phone call. Lately, he was getting tired of a lot of things that had been going on at the hotel. 

“Everything is running smoothly,” Ellie smiled. “We are almost completely booked and the ballroom is getting the final touches for tonight’s sweet sixteen party. I’ve got Marco coming in at one so I can keep an eye on the party and make sure it all goes smoothly.”

“What would I do without you,” Eden chuckled, “thank you for taking all this on for me.”

“It’s no big deal, especially since today is such a big day for you,” Ellie smiled brightly. “Now get going or you’re going to be late.”

“Thank you again, Ellie,” Eden said sincerely.

“Good luck,” she called when Eden moved away.

Eden headed off to the elevator, pressing the button and stepping inside when the door opened. He leaned against the back of the car and sighed. Ten years ago yesterday was the day Eden got Cade back and today, the two men he loved would be free. Never again would Eden have to use the term slave for any reason. 

The elevator dinged and Eden moved to the second elevator, swiping his card and stepping inside. His phone buzzed when the elevator started moving and he pulled it out, reading the text from Raf. He and Fallon were already at the courthouse waiting. The elevator dinged again and Eden stepped up to his apartment door. 

The room was empty, which immediately had Eden worrying. Cade and Jace new they needed to be ready, so where were they? Cade’s pile of college applications were sitting on the kitchen counter, along with two UPS packages that Jace needed sent out. Over the last few months Cade had been searching for online colleges to attend after he was freed and he had finally narrowed it down to about twelve schools. Raf had suggested about a year ago that Jace start selling his quilts online and his small business had taken off. Eden had set up an account for Jace that would transfer to him once he earned his freedom. He already had a few thousand in the account and Jace had mentioned a few weeks ago that he would like to spend some of it on a new sewing machine. Eden had offered to purchase it for him now, but Jace told him he wanted it to be his first big purchase after he was free. 

Making his way down the hallway past their bedroom, Eden heard the distinct wine of Jace’s current sewing machine. He pushed open the door to Jace’ sewing room, smiling when both Cade and Jace looked up at him. 

“Hi,” Cade said, standing up and moving towards Eden.

“Hi back,” Eden replied, leaning down and kissing Cade’s lips. “I thought you two would be ready by now.”

“We are,” Jace told him in his blank tone. “But I was having a few setbacks.”

“Setbacks?” Eden asked. 

“More like cold feet for freedom,” Cade explained. 

“I’m just a little worried about what’s… going to happen after today,” Jace shrugged. 

“Oh,” Eden replied, taking the seat Cade had vacated and reaching for Jace’s hand. 

“I know I shouldn’t be,” Jace sighed, “but there is still that part of me that worries that once I’m free that everything might change.”

“You mean between us?” Eden asked, frowning when Jace nodded. 

“Nothing is going to change, we love you.”

“I know, but,” Jace paused and looked away. “We’ve been together for so long and I hate that there is still that part of me that believes you and Cade are going to get tired of me and throw me away.”

Eden reached out and cupped Jace’s face in his hand. He turned Jace’s head and kissed him gently. “You have had a rough life, Jace. Thinking that way is how your brain copes with that. If some part of you always believes that you’re going to get thrown away when someone tires of you, then you don’t have to deal with the pain when it does happen.”

“But it’s been ten years, Eden. How much longer do I need?”

“I don’t know,” Eden shook his head. “But I want you to come to me and Cade every time you start thinking that, so we can remind you that you aren’t going anywhere.”

Jace smiled and leaned his forehead against Eden’s. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Eden smiled. “Now let’s get going before Cade looses his mind.”

“I’m sorry,” Cade blurted, “I’m just really excited.”

“Go get your letters and we’ll meet you by the door.”

Cade shot out of the room and down the hall, causing Eden and Jace to chuckle.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Eden asked, turning back to Jace. 

“I’m fine,” Jace replied, sighing softly. He stood and slipped his arms around Eden, holding him tight. “I’m so lucky to have you and Cade.” 

Eden stood, taking Jace’s hand and they headed back to the front room where Cade was waiting for them anxiously by the door. He didn’t wait for them to get any closer before he was out the door, trotting to the elevator. He bounded into the elevator, while Jace slid his hand around Eden’s wrist and followed him quietly onto the elevator. Cade and Jace took over the back seat of the car, whispering to each other while Eden drove. When they got to the courthouse, Raf was waiting for them in the parking garage. 

“Bout time you got here,” Raf said, pulling open the back door. Cade leapt into Raf’s arms, hugging him tightly. 

“We had to drop off a few things off at the post office first,” Eden explained, climbing out of the car.

Fallon helped Jace out of the car, squeezing his arm gently. Jace smiled at him and pulled Fallon in to a hug. Fallon and Jace had been through a lot of the same things as slaves and the two of them had found a way to help each other through their hardest memories. 

The judge was already waiting for them in his quarters and Raf led them inside. Fallon wished them luck and stayed outside since he was still considered a slave and couldn’t be part of the process. 

“You two must be excited for your freedom,” Judge Grouse said to Cade and Jace. They were waiting for one more person before they could begin. 

“Very excited, sir,” Cade replied with an excited smile. 

“I remember when we freed one of our best slaves. She was an amazing cook and now she has a restaurant in Rochester. It took her a while to adjust to freedom, lucky for you, you have a man who loves you and will help you through your transition.”

Cade smiled and looked up at Eden. Eden returned the smile, his heart beating ecstatically. He was just as excited to have Cade and Jace free men as Cade was. Jace still looked nervous, but there was a glint of excitement in his grey eyes. 

“Sorry I’m late,” Lucas said, walking through the door seconds later. He moved towards them, fixing his shirt and tie. 

“Gale better not be distracting you while you’re driving,” Raf teased and Lucas shot him a scathing look.

“Gentlemen, are we ready?” Judge Grouse asked. 

“Yes, let’s start,” Raf chuckled, throwing Lucas a cheeky grin.He set a pile of papers on the judge’s desk. “Cade, you first,” Raf waved Cade over.

Cade took a step forward and immediately reached for Eden’s hand. The first several minutes consisted of going over the paperwork and making sure everything was in order. Eden signed and initialed every page, while the judges secretary made copies and printed out more paperwork. Cade stood quietly, but Eden could feel his energy buzzing just under his skin, while the judge read him all the information the government felt Cade would need to know when he was free. 

“And now for the final touch,” Judge Grouse said, holding out his fountain pen. “This will be your new social security number for the rest of your life, Cade. What I need you to do is fill out your name the way you want it to be and then sign at the bottom.”

Cade took the pen and looked up at Eden. Eden merely smiled and nodded. Cade and Jace didn’t have last names and after a long talk, they both decided to take Eden’s. Cade’s hand shook slightly as he wrote his new name, Cade Graft. The judge took his pen back and signed the last of the paperwork. 

“Congratulations, Mr. Graft, you are officially free.”

Cade gasped excitedly and turned to Eden, pulling him down for a kiss. “Congratulations,” Eden whispered against Cade’s lips. 

“Thank you,” Cade whispered excitedly. He let Eden go and launched himself at Jace, kissing him deeply.

Jace let out one of his rare laughs and returned the kiss, moving towards Eden when Cade moved away. Eden slid his hand down Jace’s back and pushed him forward.

“Now, yours will take a little less time considering you’ve already heard everything I told Cade,” the judge said.

“Yes, sir,” Jace replied. 

“Then let’s get started.”

Once everything was signed and copied and signed again, Jace printed and signed his name. 

“Congratulations,” Judge Grouse said, shaking Jace’s hand. 

“Thank you, sir,” Jace replied, turning to Eden.

Eden tucked his finger under Jace’s chin and tilted his head up for a kiss. Jace slid his arms around Eden’s neck, hugging him tightly. 

“I’m free,” Jace breathed when he pulled back. There were tears in his eyes and Eden wiped them away. 

“Yes, you are,” Eden replied. 

“Now it’s time to celebrate,” Raf clapped.

The group filed out of the judge’s chambers where Fallon and Gale were waiting. Fallon hugged Jace first, whispering congratulations. Gale lifted Cade up and hugged him close, while Lucas scolded him about his hand. Eden glanced at the left hand in question, which was holding Cade up. There were several scars over the back of Gale’s hands and Eden knew the joints were stiff, but Gale had mostly recovered from his accident. 

Gale put Cade back on his feet and moved to Jace, giving him a little more intimate hug. When Lucas had first purchased Gale, he had called and asked Eden to bring Cade and Jace to Lucas’s apartment to help. In the time they were there Jace spent most nights with Lucas and Gale and they had formed a sort of bond.

That week had also been the last week Jace had ever shared a night with Lucas. Jace had told Eden when they got home that though he enjoyed his time with Lucas, and also Gale, Eden and Cade was his family now and Jace only wanted them. It was the first time Jace had actually confessed his true feelings about Eden and Cade and Eden had never been so proud. Jace and Cade had come so far from the young men Eden had taken so long ago. 

They made their way to one of Cade and Jace’s favorite Italian restaurants in the city, where they would celebrate Cade and Jace’s newfound freedom. As usual, Raf bought the first round of drinks, promising Eden he wouldn’t get his boyfriends too drunk.

“Ari and Fallon are next,” Cade said after they toasted. “We’re going to have a lot of celebrations in the near future.”

“Not for another two years,” Fallon replied, setting his hand on top of Raf’s.

“It’ll go by fast,” Jace told him.

“I can wait, it’s not like I wasn’t free at one point.”

“Yes, but this time you’ll have me,” Raf told Fallon, nuzzling his cheek. Fallon smiled, turning his head for a kiss. 

“Gale’s family will be happy when he’s free again,” Lucas grunted. 

Eden smiled softly at his friend. Gale’s family was still a little cold to Lucas, but they had gotten better over the years. One of the biggest questions that kept coming up every time Gale, Lucas, and Elsea visited was what Lucas planned once Gale was free. Usually when Lucas was asked, he would answer with a shrug and reply with ‘we’ll see what happens when we get there.’ He wasn’t fooling anyone, though, Lucas was head over heels in love with Gale and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him and their daughter. 

“It’s not like they can try to take him home now,” Raf chuckled. “They’ll have to take the cow, and the two mini horses, and the dogs.”

“Plus my daughter, because she won’t let Thing One and Thing Two go without her,” Lucas chuckled. 

“How is your teenager doing?” Raf asked, setting his elbows on the table and resting his head on his twined fingers. 

“She is in junior high and dating,” Lucas replied flatly.

“Every father’s worst nightmare,” Eden laughed. 

“She’s at her friend Marlena’s for a sleep over, talking about what she considers ‘girly stuff she can’t talk to her dads about’,” Gale rolled his eyes. 

“At least she has someone to talk to that stuff about,” Cade said, cutting into his entrée. 

“Yes, but we just found out Marlena is the first person Elsea’s ever kissed and god only knows what they’re doing now,” Lucas huffed. 

“I’ve talked to Elsea about Marlena,” Raf sighed. “They aren’t doing anything you should be worried about. They’re best friends and that’s all. Now that boy Charlie, he’s the one you should be worried about.”

Lucas groaned and leaned against Gale’s side. Gale laughed, wrapping an arm around Lucas and kissing the top of his head. 

Eden laughed along with the others, trying to hide the twinge in his chest. He was the only one who hadn’t moved out of the city and he felt like he was miles away from his friends. It wasn’t like he never saw them, they were hanging out all the time, but Eden still felt like something was missing. 

Eden wanted to be just as much of Elsea’s life as Raf and Fallon were, but he couldn’t just cross the road to see her. He had thought about moving closer, but that would mean changing his job. He had been looking around for jobs in that local area, but he didn’t want to uproot Cade and Jace so soon after a change like this. 

Cade set his hand on top of Eden’s, lacing their fingers together. “What are you worried about?” Cade whispered.

“Nothing, love,” Eden breathed, kissing Cade’s lips. “You taste like raspberry vodka.”

“I might be a little tipsy,” Cade giggled. 

Eden chuckled and turned to Jace. “Are you tipsy too,” he whispered into Jace’s ear.

“Not as much as Cade,” Jace smirked. 

Eden hummed, nuzzling Jace’s temple. “Sound like a good time to take the two of you home and take advantage of you.”

“Just can’t keep it in your pants can you?” Raf scolded, shaking his head at Eden and glancing at Lucas.

Gale had turned his chair towards Lucas’s and he was whispering things into Lucas’s ear that was making Lucas blush. 

“I think its time we all go home,” Eden laughed. 

They had all agreed to spend the weekend at Eden’s and Eden had made sure to get them rooms instead of trying to cram them all into his apartment. Granted, it was a large apartment, someone was still going to have to sleep on the couch. 

They all managed to make it back to the hotel safely and Eden checked in with Ellie while she gave Lucas and Raf their room keys. Everything was running smoothly and she gave Cade and Jace a congratulatory hug before they all headed upstairs. They said good night to Lucas, Gale, Raf, and Fallon, when they stopped at their floor and continued upwards. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe it,” Cade cried when they stepped into their apartment. “We’re free.” He threw his arms around Jace and hugged him tightly.

“Yes, now we have to do things like taxes and bills,” Jace laughed, hugging Cade back.

“And other things like drive a car, and go to school, and everything else. The world is at our fingertips,” Cade replied.

“Thanks to Raf I know know you get a little philosophical when your drunk,” Eden chuckled.

“And that’s totally sexy, right?” Cade asked, striking a pose.

“Very,” Eden agreed, letting Cade take his hand and pull him to their bedroom. Jace followed behind, giving Eden a nudge when he slowed down.

“Before we get to the fun part, there is something I want to give you two,” Eden told them when they reached the bedroom. 

Cade and Jace nodded, climbing onto the bed and waiting. Eden went over to his dresser and pulled open the top drawer, pulling out two black velvet boxes. He joined his lovers on their bed and sat facing them. 

“As you know, I love the both of you to the end of the world and back and I want everyone to know about it. Unfortunately, the way most people show that love, we can’t do.”  
“What do you mean?” Jace asked, sharing a look with Cade. 

Eden smiled and held up the two velvet boxes. “Polyamorous relationships can’t get married, so instead of getting you engagement rings, I decided to buy us eternity rings.”

Cade and Jace looked down at the velvet boxes in Eden’s hand and slowly reached out for them. The rings were white gold with an endless Celtic knot encircling it, It had taken weeks for Eden to find the right rings and by the stunned looks on Cade and Jace’s faces, he had chosen the right one. 

“I love the both of you so much,” Eden whispered, taking the boxes back. He took Jace’s ring out first and took his hand. “And I want the two of us to be together for the rest of our lives.” He slipped the ring onto Jace’s fingers and then did the same with Cade’s. “Maybe some day I’ll be able to marry the both of you, but until then, these rings will be our symbol to our dedication to each other.”

“Eden,” Cade breathed.

“Did you get one for yourself?” Jace asked, his grey eyes filled with unshed tears. 

Eden nodded and pulled open his bedside table drawer and took out a third velvet box. He opened the box to reveal the same ring Cade and Jace had. Jace plucked the ring from its holder and Eden held up his left hand. Cade’s fingers joined Jace’s on the ring and together they slid it onto Eden’s finger. Cade and Jace scooted forward, wrapping their arms around Eden’s neck and kissing him gently. 

“I love the both of you so much,” Eden whispered. 

“I love you too,” they both replied, holding Eden tighter. 

“Actually, there is something we wanted to talk to you about too,” Cade said when he pulled back. 

“Okay,” Eden whispered.

“We know about the bed and breakfast you’ve been looking at,” Jace started.

“The one that’s down the road from Fallon and Lucas’s homes,” Cade finished.

“You do?” Eden asked, feeling worry well up inside him.

“We know how much you miss that and don’t think we haven’t missed how tired you have become of this job. The guests seem to get worse every day,” Jace told him. “You left the listing for the bed and breakfast up on your computer one night and I checked it out. It didn’t take me long to realize you had pent quite some time searching for them.”

“You’re right, I’m getting tired of dealing with the guests here and I know I’ll probably have some of the same problems at a bed and breakfast, but it’ll be less of them. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, I was just looking,” Eden assured.

“But we thing you should do it,” Cade said and Jace nodded. If you really want to buy this place, then do it. It said the staff would remain if the new owner wanted them to and I know we would all love seeing the others more often.”

“I wasn’t really going to think about it until you settled into your new freedom a bit,” Eden shrugged.

“No, we’re fine, you should buy it if that’s what you want to do.” Jace scooted forward and kissed Eden gently. “We want what will make you happy.”

“It might not work out,” Eden countered.

“If it doesn’t then at least you’ll know you tried, bit I believe it will.”

“Okay, I’ll call Monday and we can go look at it and then decide what we want to do.”

Perfect,” Cade clapped, scooting forward and wiggling himself between Eden and Jace. “And if you do buy in, then we can get a dog of our own.”

Eden laughed and rolled them until Cade and Jace were underneath him. “We can talk about that tomorrow. Tonight, I only want to focus on the two of you.”


	2. Fallon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. July was a bad month for me and needless to say, I don't have any internet at home at the moment. I've also had two of my workers get injured in the last two weeks so I've been working double time at the barn, plus my retail job. Hopefully in the next few weeks everything will sort itself out, but in the meantime I can only update when I have time to go find internet. 
> 
> So I hope you enjoy Fallon' chapter and I'll work on finishing Gale's and hopefully getting it up.

The alarm beamed loudly in the room and Raf immediately rolled over and hurried his face in Fallon’s neck. “Two more minutes,” he grumbled, nuzzling Fallon’s lost skin with his nose.

“The alarm clock is on your side of the bed,” Fallon reminded. “It’s going to keep beeping until you turn it off.”

Raf grunted and held Fallon tighter, causing him to squirm in Raf’s arms. When eh beeping finally became annoying, he rolled onto his back and slapped the offending object. Raf rolled back over with the intention of holding Fallon and possibly doing something a little more intimate, but Fallon had already gotten up. Instead of his lover’s face, Raf found himself staring at the wet nose of their newest edition, a Labradoodle named Hermes. 

“Can’t I have five minutes of peace with the man I love,” Raf groaned, rolling back onto his back. 

Apparently the answer was no, because he was immediately assaulted by their other two dogs and the stray cat named Turkey they had taken into their home a year ago. Turkey mewled at Raf and curled up on his chest, while Nala and Versacci shoved their noses in Raf’s face. Raf sighed, running his fingers through Ithaca’s fur. 

Fallon emerged from the bathroom and waded through the animals until he reached Raf. “If you don’t get up we’re going to be late.”

“Can’t have that,” Raf smiled, wrapping his arms around Fallon and pulling him down for a kiss. 

Turkey protested when Raf rolled over and she hopped over Fallon to curl up next to Hermes. Fallon moaned into the kiss, but pushed Raf away when his fingers started sliding down Fallon’s sides. Raf sighed and stole one last kiss before maneuvering around the animals and off the bed. He did what he needed in the bathroom, leaving Fallon to shower first. 

Pulling on a pair of boxers and some sweats, Fallon made his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Giggling met his ears when he opened his bedroom door, alerting him that his niece was here. He moved past the fridge to where Elsea was sitting at the kitchen counter, chatting with Ari.

“Morning, Uncle Raf,” Elsea said cheerfully, her many bracelets jingling when she moved her arm.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Raf replied, leaning down and kissing Elsea’s cheek. Her waist length brown hair was pulled up into a pony tail and Raf could see streaks of blue in it. “Does your father’s know about this?” he asked, fiddling with a lock. 

Elsea flicked her hair away from him and gave him an innocent smile. “It’s not permanent.”

“That wasn’t my question,” Raf replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No,” Elsea sighed, rolling her honey colored eyes. 

“Which is why you’re hiding at my house?” Raf raised and eyebrow.

“Oh leave her alone,” Ari waved a hand at Raf. “She’s a teenager, let her rebel a little.”

 

“You can rebell all you want until your father’s find out about it. Then you’ll get to rebel about it quietly in your room.”

“Listen,” Elsea started, waving a finger a Raf. “I just came over here to congratulate Fallon and I’m feeling a little attacked right now.”

Raf snorted at the term he hadn’t heard since he was in his early twenties. Was it coming back around again? It probably never went away, he was just spending time with people who would never say something like that. He fed he dogs and joined Elsea at the counter, thanking Ari when he handed Raf a cup of tea. 

“What are you all dressed up for?” Raf asked, sipping his tea as he looked Ari up and down. He was wearing a pressed pair of slacks, a blue button down shirt and a tie.

“Carl has some people coming in for a meeting and I have paperwork to file and phones to answer,” Ari replied, leaning over the counter. “Just because you get the day off doesn’t mean I do.”

Ari had earned is freedom a few months ago and Raf had offered to let him work in his office until Ari figured out what he was going to do with his life. It turned out he was a pretty good secretary and he had agreed to stay as one when Raf took on two more lawyers for his firm. Everyone who came into the office loved him and he made sure everyone knew what was going on that day and at what time.

“So, how goes the driving lessons?” Raf asked, stealing a grape off of Elsea’s plate.

Elsea made a face and waved her hand. “Dad says I’m getting better, but I’m pretty sure if I had to take the test tomorrow I’d fail it and the instructor wold ban me from ever getting behind the wheel again.”

“It just takes practice,” Raf said gently. “Ari’s ben trying to lean how to drive for weeks and he’s getting the hang of it.”

“Though I would be in the same boat as you if I took the test tomorrow. Raf doesn’t even let me drive his tiny new car anymore.”

“That’s probably because you took one of the mirrors off when you hit a fence,” Raf grunted.

Ari rolled his eyes and turned back to the pan on the stove. Hannah had taken a bad spill last week and had broken her leg, so while she was out of work, Ari had taken over her duties. If Raf was honest with himself between Ari, Fallon, and himself, they could get the house clean and food made without Hannah, but Raf loved the woman dearly and couldn’t bring himself to fire her. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it and Hannah felt more like his mother then his own. 

Fallon came out of their bedroom wth Turkey on his shoulder and he smiled at Elsea. Elsea hopped up and gave Fallon a tight hug, congratulating him on his future freedom. 

“Thank you,” Fallon hold her, his sea green eyes going to her hair. “Does your father’s know about that?”

“No, that’s why she’s here,” Raf answered for her.

“Can we, like, stop worrying about what my dads are going to think about my hair and celebrate Fallon’s freedom?” Elsea groaned. 

“Well, I think it looks adorable,” Ari said, coming around the counter. He had a home made breakfast wrap in his hand, which meant he wasn’t joining them for breakfast. He gave Fallon and kiss on the cheek and congratulated him before grabbing his bag and heading for the door. 

“Don’t forget you’re supposed to be off at three and Lucas is picking you up to take you to Eden’s at three-thirty,” Fallon called. 

“Yes, mom,” Ari replied, throwing a wave behind him before he disappeared out the door. 

Raf chuckled and helped himself to the food Ari had made them before going to take a shower. When he emerged from the bedroom, Elsea was gone, leaving him and Fallon alone. Raf smirked at his lover and moved closer, sliding his arms around Fallon’s waist and kissing him gently. 

“Are you ready to go?” Raf whispered. 

Fallon took a small intake of breath, the same breath he took when Raf slid into him for the first time when they made love. It made Raf’s heartbeat spike and his fingers tremble. Raf loved how Fallon reacted to his excitement, he loved it even more knowing that it was him who caused those reactions.

Fallon smiled softly and leaned into Raf. “I’m ready for anything,” he whispered. 

“I love you,” Raf replied, kissing Fallon again. 

“I love you too.”

Raf made sure he had everything needed for today and they headed to the car. Raf recognized Lucas and Eden’s cars in the parking lot and he suddenly felt a flurry of nerves. Today was a big day and he didn’t know if he would want anyone but his best friends around for it. They met Eden and Lucas outside the courtroom and exchanged hugs. Raf looked around for the others, but he didn’t spot them. He knew Gale wouldn’t be allowed in the courtroom and he wondered if everyone else was inside already. 

The courtroom was empty save the judge and Raf shot a look at his friends. Lucas pretended like he hadn’t seen it and Eden gave him a cheeky smile. Raf rolled his eyes, he was sure everyone would appear after Fallon was finished with the judge.

“Good morning,” Judge Hadder said when they approached. “Please, have a seat.”

They all sat at the long table in front of the judges stand and Judge Hadder came down to them. 

“No need to make this formal,” he said when he took his seat on the other side of the table. 

Raf took his papers out of his bag and set them on the table. He had all of Fallon’s information form when he was free and when he had been taken into slavery both times. He had spent the last two weeks getting Fallon’s birth certificate and social security number so they could easily put him back in the system as a free man. He pulled Fallon’s birth certificate and stared at the last name for a moment. Huxley, it was how Raf had found Fallon’s parents, along with the news article about their death. 

He set handed the certificate to a young woman who took it and several other papers that Judge Hadder and signed to make copies. While they waited, Judge Hadder gave Fallon all the information the state required him to know. Fallon listened quietly, his sea green eyes filled with peace. Fallon’s slavery had been a rough road and the one time he had earned his freedom again, he had been thrown back onto the streets and left to fend for himself. This time things would be different.

Fallon had given up his rights as a free man the second time he had become a slave, which meant all the rules that went with most people who had once been free were obsolete for him. He could stay with Raf if he chose or he could do anything else with his life. Raf was pretty confident Fallon wasn’t going anywhere without him, but he could surprise all of them and walk out without looking back. It had happened before and though Raf was confident he hand’t done anything to drive Fallon away, he didn’t have any way to keep Fallon with him if he didn’t want to.

He pushed that thought away when they woman returned with the rest of the papers. The Judge handed Fallon his new identification and a pen. Fallon signed it with his name, using his old last name instead of Raf’s like Cade and Jace had done when they were freed. Fallon signed his name and handed the paperwork back to the judge. Jute Hadder signed the papers and gave them to Raf and Eden to sign. Lucas signed as a secondary witness and in a moment Fallon was free again.

“Congratulations,” Judge Hadder said, holding his hand out to Fallon.

“Thank you sir,” Fallon smiled, shaking the man’s hand.

Jude Hadder shook Raf, Eden, and Lucas’s hand and then turned back to Raf. “Next on the agenda,” he said cheerily. 

Raf suddenly felt every nerve in his body tighten. He glanced at Eden and Lucas, who smiled at him and nodded. Raf turned to Fallon, who had come to stand next to him. Fallon was looking at the judge confused and Raf gently took his hand. Fallon looked up at him and cocked his head. 

“There is something else I hoped we could do today,” Raf told him quietly.

“What?” Fallon asked, his confusion growing.

Raf slid his hand in his pocket and pulled out a plain velvet box. Shock crossed Fallon’s face when Raf went down on one knee. Raf opened the box to reveal a platinum matte wedding band. 

Fallon’s breath caught and his sea green eyes grew wider. 

“I know you’ve only been free for about two minutes, but I didn’t want to wait any longer for this.” Raf reached out and took Fallon’s hand, kissing his knuckles. “I love you with everything I have and there is nothing more I want then to be able to call you my husband. Fallon, will you marry me?”

“You want to get married right now?” Fallon asked, his voice trembling a little. “Is that allowed?”

“We had to pull a few strings,” Judge Hadder explained, “but yes, it’s allowed.”

Fallon looked back down at the ring and Raf felt himself starting to sweat. Maybe it was too soon. What if Fallon had wanted to take some time away from Raf before making a commitment like his. God, he was an idiot for thinking Fallon would want this as much as he did.

Tears suddenly filled Fallon’s eyes and he gasped a breath. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Right now.”

Raf let out a breath and he stood, pulling Fallon into his arms and kissing him. “I love you so much,” he whispered. 

“I can’t believe you waited until now to ask me,” Fallon cried, hugging Raf tighter. “We could have planned something if you had asked before.”

“Don’t worry,” Eden cut in. “We did all the planning.”

“Wait, what?” Raf asked, glancing at Eden. “I thought we were just going to have something small here?”

“Absolutely not, you and Fallon deserve something nice,” Eden told them. “Judge Hadder agreed to come to the B and B and do the wedding there.”

Raf laughed, he should have known Eden would have something planned five minutes after Raf told him he was going to ask Fallon to marry him. Fallon laughed too and pulled away from Raf so he could hug Lucas and Eden. 

“I’m going to go grab a few things and I’ll meet you boys there,” Judge Hadder said clapping Raf on the shoulder. He disappeared through another door and Raf turned to his friends. He hugged Eden and Lucas tightly.

“Thank you for this,” he said.

“Anything for you,” Lucas smiled. “Now let’s go before Elsea starts calling me to see if Fallon said no.”

“By the way, do you know your daughter’s hair has blue streaks?” Raf asked, taking Fallon’s hand and leaving the courtroom. 

“Yeah, Gale texted me when I got here to tell me,” Lucas replied, shaking his head. “I do have to say that at least she’s not off doing drugs or having sex. I can live with blue hair as long as she doesn’t come home pregnant.” 

“That is something you don’t have to worry about.” Eden winked, “She told me some guy tried to get her to have sex in the locker room and she told him to shove a bag of ice down his pants and let his balls cool off so he wouldn’t be controlled by his dick anymore.”

Lucas snorted, “Well, at least Gale and I can be proud that she’s not giving into peer pressure or anything. She’s got two friends who are pregnant and they sent a letter home from school telling parents to have serious talks with their children about sex.”

“I guess private school had the same kinds of problems as public schools,” Raf sighed. 

“She’s getting a good education, though,“ Fallon pointed out. 

“That is true and because of all this, they decided to better their health class. A lot of parents are upset about it, but Elsea says the kids feel better knowing their health teachers aren’t tying to force them into celibacy.”

“We all know teaching safe sex is better then teaching them nothing,” Raf said. “I don’t know about you buys, but most of what I know I learned from the internet.”

“Yeah, when Gale and I were looking for things to help with our sex talk, we found stuff on the internet we didn’t even know about.”

“There was a lot I found when I was trying to find out about Ari’s sexuality,” Raf nodded. 

“Wait,” Fallon stopped, pulling Raf back. “Ari doesn’t get out of work till three. He should be there for our wedding.”

“Actually, I dropped Ari off when I brought Gale over,” Lucas explained. “He didn’t have a lot to do and Carl wouldn’t let him stay when he found out that Raf was proposing.”

Fallon nodded and kept walking. Raf waved at Lucas and Eden before climbing into his car. He glanced at Fallon who was smiling widely. 

“Oh my god, I’m free,” Fallon whispered as if it had just occurred to him. He turned to look at Raf, “And I’m marrying you.”

Raf smiled and reached across the console to squeeze Fallon’s hand. They followed Eden’s car to his new bed and breakfast. The last time Raf had been here they had just started on the renovations. This time, the house was a welcoming blue color, with white shutters around the windows. Eden gave them the quickest tour in the history of tours as they made their way to the large dining room. 

The tables had been cleared away and a few chairs took their place. Judge Hadder stood on the other side of the room, chatting with Gale. Ari hurried over to them and threw his arms around Fallon. Hannah was right behind him, dabbing a tissue under her reddened eyes. She pulled Raf into a tight hug, telling him she was so happy he and Fallon were getting married.

“Congratulations,” Ari cried, kissing Fallon’s cheek. 

He pulled away and threw himself at Raf when Hannah let him go. Hannah hugged Fallon and moved away to take a seat, as Cade and Jace came over. They all shared hugs and Fallon broke away from Raf to move towards Gale. 

“Raf,” Raf’s mother’s voice said behind him. 

Raf turned in surprise, his grey eyes widening. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

“Lucas called me,” she replied, her eyes filled with tears. “He told me you weren’t sure if you were going to call me so he did it for you.”

“I wasn’t sure… with dad-”

His mother silenced him with a hug. “He doesn’t know and I understand why you didn’t call. But I wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world.”

Raf’s heart swelled and he gasped as he hugged his mother close. 

“Gentlemen are we ready?” Judge Hadder asked. 

Raf nodded and moved towards the front of the room where Fallon waited for him. His heart jumped when Fallon reached for him; curling his fingers around Raf’s hand and squeezing gently. 

“Good afternoon,” Judge Hadder said. “We all know why we’re here so I’m going to skip the part where I ask if anyone objects.” 

Raf laughed with the group, and holding onto Fallon tighter.

“Now I know Fallon had no idea this was happening today, but I hope Raf planned his votes beforehand.”

“I did,” Raf nodded, turning to look into Fallon’s eyes. His heart stuttered when he saw every drop of love Fallon felt for Raf in those sea green eyes. “Fallon,” he started, his voice shakes. He paused and started again. “When we first met you had so much taken from you that I never thought you would trust me. I figured I would help you trust again and then find you a loving master to live with for the rest of your life; and then you started opening up and I realized I was the one who wanted to keep you for the rest of my life. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with you and the more I learned about you, the more I fell. I would have given you the world if you had asked and I still would. Every day I thank Victor for calling me and begging me to take you, because if he hadn’t; I never would have met the love of my life. I love you, Fallon and I will love you until the day I die.”  
Fallon’s eyes were filled with unshed tears and he moved to push forward, but stopped himself mid step. “I guess I shouldn’t kiss you yet,” he chuckled, causing the others in the room to laugh.

“Is there anything you would like to say to Raf?” Judge Hadder asked. 

Fallon met Raf’s grey eyes and Raf felt his hear leap in his chest. “When we first met,” Fallon started, “I thought you were going to make me a house slave and I would have to fold your underwear for the east of my life.” 

The room filled with laughter again and this time, Raf was the one who had to fight to keep from kissing Fallon. 

“You kept telling me you weren’t going to hurt me and then you would show me that you wouldn’t. I had never had someone do that for me before. All of a sudden I was feeling things for you I didn’t know I was capable of still feeling. You never hurt me and after we took Pia in you kept calling us a family. I held onto that fact every day I lived back on the streets. I promised myself that even if I never saw you again, I had a family and I was loved. I never want to be apart from you again and I too thank Victor for calling you. I also thank Avery for finding me and reuniting us and giving us this when I earned my freedom again.” Fallon paused and glanced at Judge Hadder. “I have a lot more to say, but I want to say it after we’re married.”

“Then let’s get to it,” Judge Hadder chuckled. “Rafael Jacob Greely, do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?”

“I do,” Raf answered, smiling brightly as he slid the ring onto Fallon’s finger. 

“And do you, Fallon Matthew Huxly, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?”

“I do,” Fallon replied, throwing him into Raf’s arms and kissing him hard. 

“Then by the power invested in me, by the state of New York, now pronounce you husband and husband,” Judge Hadder finished, speaking over the crowd of cheers. 

“I love you so much,” Raf whispered as tears spilled down his face. 

“I love you too,” Fallon replied, wiping tears off his own cheeks.

They were surrounded by their friend, who congratulated them with pats on the back and reined white rice down on them. Raf’s mother came over to them and she happily hugged Fallon, welcoming him to the family. Fallon cried even harder when Raf’s mother told him she was proud to have Fallon as a son-in-law. 

Raf shook Judge Hadder’s hand and thanked him for everything. Judge Hadder clapped him on the back and began helping Cade and Jace fold up the chairs. A long table was set up in the middle of the room and Eden’s new chef brought out appetizers for them.

“I told you I didn’t want anything fancy.” Raf complained when the chef congratulated him.

“This isn’t fancy,” Eden rolled his eyes. “It’s a celebration with friends and family.” He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “I’ll also let you break in the honeymoon suite before we open next week.”

Raf laughed and took the keys from him. “Thanks, Eden.”

“Anytime,” Eden smiled, patting Raf on the back. 

Two large chairs were set in the center of the table where Raf and Fallon sat. After Fallon’s excitement settled, he managed to slip Raf’s ring on his finger, kissing him again once it was on. The day went on with laughter, talking, good food, and several interesting speeches from Eden and Lucas. Once the dinner plates were cleared from the table, Eden got up and fiddled with the stereo that had been quietly playing music all day.

“As usual at these weddings, the newlyweds have to share a dance,” Eden said, starting a slow song. 

Raf chuckled ad rubbed his face. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get out of dancing with Fallon, so he stood and took his husbands hand. They moved out to the empty floor and Fallon slid his hands around Raf’s neck. 

“We owe Eden a huge thank you for this,” Fallon whispered as they started swaying with the music. 

“Yes, we do,” Raf smiled, kissing the tip of Fallon’s nose. “He’s also letting us break in the new honeymoon suite.”

“Really?” Fallon asked, his green eyes dancing. “So when do you think we’ll be able to slip away and head upstairs.”

Raf chuckled, “Maybe after dessert, but I’m in no rush. I have forever to break in new mattresses with you.”

Fallon smiled and kissed Raf again. “Speaking of honeymoon’s, do we get to go on one?”

Raf smiled wickedly and squeezed Fallon’s waist. “I’ve already told my clients that I will be away for the week. I asked a friend if we could borrow his vacation home in Hawaii and he happily agreed.”

“Hawaii, really?” Fallon asked excitedly.

Raf nodded, slowing when the music ended. Cheers erupted from the others and Raf leaned down to kiss Fallon again. They brought out cake after the dance and Fallon immediately took the opportunity to cover Raf’s face with a piece. Raf was a little more reserved, but he did manage to smear icing all over Fallon’s cheek and neck. Eden put on more upbeat music and they spent the rest of the evening dancing and celebrating. 

Around midnight the group decided to head to bed and they all hugged and congratulated Raf and Cade before heading upstairs. The honeymoon suite was a large room with a kingsized bed and flow drapes. It also came with two tubes of lube that Raf was pretty sure Eden wasn’t going to give complimentary to any other future married couple that stayed in this room.  
Fallon looked around the large room as he moved towards the bed. The quilt had no doubt been made by Jace, along with the matching curtains. 

“They did a really good job with these rooms,” Fallon said, turning to face Raf. 

“Eden said they put a lot of time into it.” Raf smiled, “I still can’t believe he gave up his job at the hotel to run a bed and breakfast.”

“He’ll be really good at it.”

“I know he will,” Raf replied, moving slowly towards Fallon. “I’m just surprised that Cade and Jace convinced him to do it.”

“He did it for them as much as he did it for himself,” Fallon whispered, sliding his hands up Raf’s chest. “I think you were all tired of the city and missing each other, which is why you all started careers here.”

“We got tired of the city after we me the loves of our lived. This is us settling down so we can grow old without lovers.” 

“Good,” Fallon replied, toeing off his shoes and climbing onto the bed. “Because that’s all I want to do with my husband too.”

Raf’s smile grew as he watched Fallon unbutton his shirt. His body buzzed with the cove and care he felt for Fallon and he pushed off his own shoes and climbed on the bed, ready to show his husband just how much he loved him.

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. Thing One and Thing Two are what Elsea named her mini horses.


End file.
